Capitol Roundup: Transportation Deal Stalls, SEIU Sets Strike Date

There will be no transportation funding deal in a lame-duck session of the California Legislature.

In a joint letter issued late Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislative leaders acknowledged a deal would not be reached by the end of the month. They added that they’re “committed to tackling this issue early in the new year.”

The special legislative session Brown called nearly a year and a half ago will expire when the outgoing Legislature adjourns on November 30th. It’s now clear that efforts to reach a lame-duck deal after the election have proven unsuccessful.

In other Capitol news, SEIU Local 1000 has set a one-day strike for Monday, December 5th.

The union is accusing the Brown administration of “unlawful conduct” and “egregious unfair labor practices during bargaining.”

The governor has negotiated contracts with a handful of other unions in the last year or so that include some significant changes to civil service rules and the first ever employee contributions to the state’s under-funded retiree health care program. In exchange, Brown has agreed to salary increases with those unions. The state is likely looking for a similar deal with SEIU.

The Brown administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, in the past, it’s said it wants to balance recognition for its hard-working employees with protecting the long-term viability of retiree health benefits and maintaining the integrity of the state’s finances.

Capitol Bureau Chief Ben Adler first became a public radio listener in the car on his way to preschool – though not necessarily by choice. Now, he leads Capital Public Radio’s state Capitol coverage, which airs on NPR stations across California. Read Full Bio